Dracula the LGBT version
by BertTheGnome
Summary: A modern day rendition of Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" featuring LGBT characters. Written as a screenplay. Begins the "movie" with introducing Mark Murray and Luke West, and an encounter at a club with a mysterious, predatory stranger.
1. Chapter 1

_(This is my rendering of the beginning of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, my favourite book, into a modern day __rendition featuring the gay community. Sounds rather random, but the idea just came to me, and I like it. That's one thing that hasn't been done to this well-worn story yet. I reversed some characters' genders (Mina Murray became Mark Murray, Lucy Westenra became Luke West) and took some liberties, but I think the story works. This is what I imagined the beginning of the "movie" would be like. Now, Mina (or Mark) is my favourite character, and I respect her/him greatly. Mark may seem a little pathetic right now, but I promise that Mina's inner strength and life are going to surface soon. It is just important to show that Mark is more quiet and reserved than the flirtatious, lively Luke. Now my rant is done. Enjoy.)_

(The credits are shown as the camera flies through a crowded city in a storm. As they draw to a close, we go through a window and find ourselves in an apartment. It is neatly, but not very richly decorated.)

SCENE 1- Mark's Apartment

(We see Mark Murray putting a muffin tray in the oven.)

(He is an attractive man in his twenties, dressed in rather drab, conservative clothes, with an air of intelligence, but also of sadness. Slightly pitiful at the moment, but with an inner spirit and energy that is, for reasons we will see soon, now dormant.)

(He closes the oven door with a slight slam, which causes his cat to jump off a chair and go to a different room. Mark pays no notice, and licks the spoon from mixing the muffin batter. He walks past a desk and stops. We see a framed picture of him and his boyfriend Jonathan. In the picture, he and Jonathan both look quite lively and happy. His fingers reach toward a laptop on the desk, then retract as if it is something he should not do. He finally gives in and opens his email inbox, rereading a familiar email one more time. It reads:

_Mark,_

_Leaving for Romania soon, waiting at the airport just now. We've already said our goodbyes, but I wanted to say it just one more time, I love you, and I can't wait to come back to you soon. _

_Yours, Jonathan_

(We see Mark's face as he reads. He sighs and the oven beeps, he gets up from the chair. As he gets the muffins out of the oven, the doorbell rings.)

(Mark opens the door to reveal Luke West standing there. Luke is also a homosexual, but much more fabulous and lively than Mark is at the moment. He wears eyeliner, mascara, high heeled boots and a dangerous outfit that indicates he is about to go clubbing. He sees Mark carrying the muffin tray, his cat at his feet, and gives him a long, slightly pitying quizzical look.)

LUKE: Oh, honey.

MARK: (Completely unaware of how pathetic he looks) What?

(Cut forward in time, Mark's bedroom. Luke is rifling through Mark's closet and examining various items, as Mark sits on the bed.

LUKE: Honey, you just need to get out of this depressing little cave and let Lukey take you out for a night on the town.

MARK: I'm sorry-

LUKE: No more sorry! Life doesn't need any apologies.

MARK: Jonathan has been gone to Romania for three months, Luke- he said he was only going to be gone for one, at most! I'm so worried... everything he sends me is so cold, so uncharacteristic. "I am doing fine; I am fine." I've called the airport, I've called his hotel, but there's nothing. I don't know what to do!

LUKE: Well sitting around here like a sad little puppy sure ain't gonna help. Romanians probably just don't have electricity or something. He'll be back sooner than you think. (Finding a shiny shirt he likes) Here! Wear this.

MARK: (Feebly protesting) But I-

LUKE: No more talk, you're gonna put this on and you're gonna come to the club with me, and you're gonna laugh and dance and have fun, and stop waiting around the house like some psycho little housewife. You used to be the life of the party, Mark Murray, and I take it as my mission to bring you back from the dead. Now hurry up, the diva is getting impatient.

(We see them at the door ready to leave. Luke unbuttons a few of Mark's shirt buttons, satisfies himself that they both look good and leave. Mark stealthily does up the buttons again and follows.)

SCENE 2- The Club

(We see an overhead shot of the exterior of a crowded gay club in the city at night, with traces of music in the air. We see Mark and Luke turn onto the street and enter the club. The camera pans up to reveal an extremely dark, stormy sky.)

(We see Luke and Mark enter through the doorway of the club, and the music drowns out most other noise. They are being watched by a dark Stranger who is sitting at the bar. The Stranger is very attractive, dressed distinctively in purple and black. We see shots of Luke talking and laughing from his perspective. He gives a slight smile to himself, shoves his still full drink away from him, and disappears into the crowd.)

(As a really good song blasts through the club, we see Luke on the dancefloor dancing with several attractive males. He goes from one to another, just enjoying himself.)

(At a turning point in the music, the camera turns to reveal the dark Stranger dancing beside Luke. The other males move on into the crowd of dancers, leaving the two alone. As the music plays a fast, strong beat, the Stranger dances with Luke, and Luke appears to be both mesmerised and alarmed by his intense gaze. Luke dances on, though his bright smile and playful attitude have vanished, leaving him staring, almost bewildered, into the Stranger's eyes. They continue to dance wildly, Luke almost like a puppet on the string of the stranger.)

(We see Mark sitting by the bar, checking his cell phone. As usual, there are no messages. He looks around, and catches a momentary glimpse through the crowd of Luke's face as he dances. It looks almost frightened. This confuses him, and he leaves the bar to look for Luke.)

(Mark searches the dance floor. He turns and catches the eye of the Stranger, who is close beside him. The music stops as the shot goes into slow motion. In the momentary glance, the Stranger is giving Mark a very unfriendly look, and Mark stares warily back. We go back to normal speed and the Stranger is lost in the crowd once more.)

(Mark, still searching, opens a door in the back wall. This reveals a dimly lit hallway where two individuals are making out. The one facing Mark gives him a reproachful look)

MARK: (flustered) Oh- my goodness- I'm sorry-

(Mark shuts the door, and we see the couple continue. Mark turns, and sees Luke slumped in a sitting position against the back wall a few metres away. His eyes are open, but he isn't moving)

MARK: (relieved, not yet truly concerned) There you are.

(Mark crouches down to look Luke in the face, and Luke returns his gaze very slowly and almost as if he did not recognise him. A closer shot reveals a large hickey on Luke's neck, with a slight smear of blood)

MARK: (alarmed) What-?

LUKE: (snapping out of it, still slightly woozy) What is it, hon?

MARK: You've hurt yourself... looks like some passionate lover boy went a little too far...

LUKE: (playfully) No such thing.

(Luke gets to his feet, and his personality begins to revive. Mark takes off his scarf and ties it around Luke's neck, covering the wound.)

MARK: Come on, let's get you home.

(Mark and Luke leave the club, Luke leaning on Mark slightly for support.)

(The club music fades, and the background music becomes foreboding, as we return to the dim back room, and the couple, still making out. The individual we saw earlier breaks off for a moment to look passionately into the other person's face. The camera turns to reveal the other person as the dark Stranger, giving his partner the same strange stare... a predatory stare. The stranger bends his head to the other's neck, and begins to kiss it. His partner appears to enjoy this, then begins to be slightly uncomfortable. The stranger suddenly bites much harder, and stifles the pained scream of the other with a hand clamped over their mouth. We see the other's feet being lifted off the ground as they struggle feebly, and eventually stop moving. The body is suddenly dropped to the floor, into the camera's view, and we can see a subtle trickle of blood on the neck. We see the stranger's feet step over the body, the tails of their long overcoat sweep by the camera and the stranger is gone.)


	2. Chapter 2

(Dr. VanHelsing's sanitarium. Various nurses and patients bustle about, and though many of the patients appear to be quite disturbed, the facility is clean and pleasant- as pleasant as any institution ever is. We see Dr. VanHelsing, a venerable and aging lady with a kindly manner, conversing with a young male nurse)

NURSE - Is there any more work to be done, Doctor?

VANHELSING - Go home to your family. It's been a long day. There's only one patient left, and I can take it from here.

NURSE - Thank you, Doctor.

(The Nurse leaves. Dr Van Helsing apprehensively checks the hallway- it is empty. She takes a key from her pocket, unlocks one final door, and goes through. As it shuts, we see the strong iron bars on the door. It quickly opens, and Dr. VanHelsing runs down the hallway and out the doors at the opposite end. The camera explores the patient's room: it is completely empty, save for a mutilated dead bird. On one wall, scrawled in the bird's blood: Blood = Life.)

(The sanitarium grounds. Dr. VanHelsing runs from path to path in the glow of the streetlights, searching for the missing patient. There is nowhere left unexplored but a dark path to a forested area. It might have been a pleasant place to walk in daylight, but it is quite another story at night. Dr. VanHelsing darts into the shadowed trees, slowing her pace to a walk. She makes an effort to be quiet, and to slow her breathing. Finally, she hears what she has been waiting for. She turns a sharp corner to find Ren, the missing patient. Ren's hair is matted, and she is clothed in a filthy hospital gown. There is blood on her hands.)

VANHELSING - Ren, what have you done?

REN - (smiling) I'm sorry. Was it wrong of me?

(She begins to laugh. The nurse lies behind her on the ground, a dark, spreading stain on his white uniform. Ren licks the blood from her hands, as VanHelsing snatches out her phone and dials: 9-1-1.)


End file.
